Sargeant wins late father’s Senydd seat

Published: February 7, 2018 Last modified: February 7, 2018

The son of sacked former Welsh Labour minister Carl Sargeant, whose death sparked an Assembly by-election in Alyn and Deeside, has won the vote with an increased margin for the party.

Jack Sargeant, 23 (pictured), achieved a majority of 6,545 on a swing of 14.9 per cent on an increased turnout.

The Flintshire seat became vacant after his father was found dead in November following his dismissal as cabinet secretary for communities and children amid allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women

The new AM said: “We still are devastated by dad’s death. This is a by-election we shouldn’t be fighting. There are questions still to be answered. But despite the tragic circumstances, this is now an opportunity to start a movement to change politics. Let’s go back to traditional Labour values and look after those who can’t look after themselves.

He said he wanted “a kind message in life in general, not just in politics. Let’s be kind to each other … that’s the message I learned from my dad.”

First Minister Carwyn Jones faces two ongoing investigations – one into his handling of the sacking of Carl Sargeant while the other is considering whether he misled the assembly in statements about what he knew about allegations of bullying within the Welsh Government in 2014.